Posted!

Join the Conversation

Comments

Welcome to our new and improved comments, which are for subscribers only.
This is a test to see whether we can improve the experience for you.
You do not need a Facebook profile to participate.

You will need to register before adding a comment.
Typed comments will be lost if you are not logged in.

Please be polite.
It's OK to disagree with someone's ideas, but personal attacks, insults, threats, hate speech, advocating violence and other violations can result in a ban.
If you see comments in violation of our community guidelines, please report them.

With its recent decision in the Burwell v. Hobby Lobby case, the Supreme Court failed to protect a woman's right to comprehensive health care coverage. The court's ruling will deny contraceptive insurance to thousands of American women and sets a broad precedent that could open the door to further restrictions on women's access to health care in the future.

The case has real implications for New York, where the 10-point Women's Equality Act is stuck in the state Senate. This legislative package would ensure that women receive equal pay for equal work, enact stronger protections against discrimination and sexual harassment, and combat sexual trafficking and domestic abuse. It would also codify in New York law the 1973 Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision, which guarantees a woman's right to make her own reproductive health choices.

Despite the fact that New Yorkers overwhelmingly support all of the 10 points included in the WEA, Senate Republicans have blocked this critical initiative from coming to a vote — effectively killing any chance of ensuring that New York's women have the protections and rights they deserve. Their actions are motivated by cynical political calculations and are driven by a campaign of misinformation.

The 10th point of the Women's Equality Act does not, as those who want to take away existing rights claim, legalize late-term abortion or otherwise expand existing law. It simply reaffirms the choice protections guaranteed by the Supreme Court's 1973 Roe v. Wade decision. For those who wonder why this is necessary, look no further than the Court's Hobby Lobby ruling. The path the current justices are leading us down could lead to the end of federal recognition of women's reproductive rights. New York's laws would immediately revert to antiquated pre-Roe v. Wade statutes that do not include the protections women are guaranteed today.

It is essential that we pass the entire Women's Equality Act as soon as possible. New Yorkers can't afford to take the federal government's lead on women's health issues, nor can we continue waiting while women still make far less than their male counterparts in the workplace and are subject to harassment and discrimination simply because of their gender. Let's put politics aside and do the right thing for New York's women and their families.